In this honest and heartfelt episode of Sacred Fertility Flow, Ashley Holmes welcomes former client Nuria to share her compelling journey through secondary infertility, multiple failed IVF transfers, and ultimately achieving pregnancy after exploring a different approach to fertility care. After being told donor eggs were her only option, Nuria found herself searching for answers beyond conventional fertility treatment. Through education, lifestyle changes, nervous system support, acupuncture, counselling, and holistic fertility care, she discovered a new path forward that led to pregnancy and the birth of her son. Nuria openly shares the emotional highs and lows of her journey, including failed IVF cycles, traveling to the United States for treatment, conceiving twins, experiencing vanishing twin loss, and how these experiences transformed her perspective on health, motherhood, and resilience. In this episode, you'll hear about: Secondary infertility • Failed IVF transfers • Fertility treatment in Canada vs. the United States • Holistic fertility support • Stress and nervous system regulation • Yoga Nidra and restorative practices • Pregnancy after infertility • Vanishing twin loss • Motherhood after fertility challenges • Finding hope when the path forward feels uncertain This conversation offers compassion, encouragement, and insight for anyone navigating infertility, IVF, pregnancy after loss, or the complexities of trying to grow their family. Connect with Ashley: yogaforfertility7@gmail.com Follow Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashley_holmes3202/ Download Free Resources: Fertile in Mind, Body & Spirit Audible Chapter from Nourished Wisdom From Leaders Living in Flow & Fulfilment https://nourished-reading.subscribepage.io/ Quick recap This was a podcast interview between Ashley Holmes, a holistic fertility coach, and her former client Nuria, where Nuria shared her fertility journey including secondary infertility, multiple failed IVF attempts, and ultimately achieving pregnancy through a different approach in the United States. Nuria described her experience with three failed IVF transfers in Canada, including one doctor telling her she was too old and should consider donor eggs, which left her feeling defeated. She explained how her husband's suggestion to explore other options led them to find a holistic fertility doctor in the US who took a different approach, including acupuncture, counseling, and a more simplified medication regimen. After trying three egg collections and transferring frozen embryos, Nuria discovered she was pregnant with twins but later learned during a 12-week ultrasound that one twin had vanished, leaving her with a healthy singleton baby boy who is now 9 months old. Throughout the conversation, Nuria emphasized the importance of education, being open to learning new approaches, and not feeling alone in the fertility journey, while also sharing her insights about the significant differences between her positive experience with holistic fertility care versus the dismissive treatment she received from clinics in Canada. Fertility Journey Podcast Discussion Ashley introduced a podcast episode about fertility journeys, welcoming Nuria as a guest who shared her experience with secondary infertility, unsuccessful IVF attempts, and the decision to travel from Canada to the United States for treatment. Nuria explained that she hoped to connect with others who could relate to fertility challenges, as she had kept her journey private during her experience. The conversation began with Ashley asking Nuria to share the beginning of her family building journey, including whether fertility treatments were involved in conceiving her first child. Fertility Journey Podcast Discussion Nuria shared her fertility journey, describing her first child as a "miracle baby" conceived without IVF after exploring fertility treatments. She explained that after her son turned one, her husband wanted to have another child, but their second attempt at fertility treatment involved three failed IVF transfers and one IUI transfer, with a doctor ultimately suggesting donor eggs as their only option. After the third failed attempt, Nuria became emotional and shut down from discussing the situation, but her husband's online support group helped provide new information and recommendations that gave them hope for continuing their journey. Fertility Treatment Exploration Journey Nuria shared her experience exploring fertility treatment options, including reading a book called "It Starts with Egg" by Rebecca Fett. After having a positive one-hour consultation with a US doctor who took a holistic approach to fertility, Nuria decided to pursue treatment in the US rather than in Canada. She described how the experience transformed her perspective and led her to start acupuncture treatments and work with a counselor, implementing various lifestyle changes including different vitamins and dietary adjustments. Fertility Treatment Journey Sharing Nuria shared her fertility treatment journey, including three egg collections and the transfer of frozen eggs and sperm to the U.S. She described the genetic testing performed on herself and her husband, resulting in three successful embryos, one of which was low mosaic. After the first embryo transfer failed, Nuria experienced emotional distress and disconnected from family, until she found comfort and understanding through reading Ashley's website content about fertility experiences. Mind-Body-Spirit Fertility Journey Nuria shared her journey of learning about the mind-body-spirit connection during her fertility challenges, including how she initially didn't recognize the stress she was experiencing despite exercising seven days a week. After five months of working with Ashley, Nuria gained insights about stress and the nervous system and had created a fertile foundation within. Nuria reached back out to her doctor in the US about potentially pursuing pregnancy again, despite her husband's interest in using a surrogate, and the doctor provided guidance on next steps for treatment. IVF Treatment Experience Discussion Nuria discussed her experience with IVF treatment, explaining how she decided to proceed with another transfer after falling in love with Yoga Nidra during her process. She shared that while her husband was supportive, she felt he didn't fully understand the physical and emotional challenges she was experiencing, which led to frustration in their communication. Nuria also compared her treatment experiences between a doctor in the U.S. and one locally, noting that the U.S. doctor provided a more simplified and less stressful medication schedule. Twin Pregnancy Journey Experience Nuria shared her experience of discovering she was pregnant with twins during a two-week period, including early pregnancy symptoms and monitoring through an Apple Watch. She described the ultrasound discoveries at different stages, including initially finding two heartbeats but later learning that only one embryo had successfully implanted, which was a low-mosaic quality embryo. Despite initial concerns about the embryo's quality, Nuria explained that the low-mosaic embryo resulted in a healthy baby boy who is now 9 months old. Fertility Journey Collaboration Reflections Ashley and Nuria reflected on their fertility journey collaboration, with Ashley expressing gratitude for their partnership and Nuria sharing how the guidance transformed her approach to nutrition and exercise. Nuria described how she initially underestimated her protein intake and overexercised, but learned through their work to balance high-intensity workouts with restorative practices like yoga nidra meditations and yin yoga. The conversation concluded with Ashley inviting Nuria to share how the lifestyle changes impacted her second pregnancy and motherhood experience, though this portion of the discussion was not captured in the transcript. Holistic Parenting Approaches Discussion Nuria discussed how her holistic learning journey has improved her parenting approach by helping her recognize stress and respond more consciously to her children. She shared how she now has open conversations with her 7-year-old about stress and has implemented practices like acupuncture and meditation to become more rounded and positive in her parenting. Ashley agreed, sharing how her children reflect back her own needs and how she works to consciously respond rather than react, maintaining consistency in her word and actions to create a grounded and secure environment for her children. Fertility Journey and Support Gaps Nuria shared her fertility journey, emphasizing the importance of community support and being open to learning different approaches when traditional methods don't work. She described negative experiences with fertility clinics in Canada, including dismissive treatment from doctors and lack of educational support, contrasting this with a more positive experience at a clinic in the US that provided better education and patient-centered care. The discussion highlighted gaps in fertility support systems in Canada, including limited access to gynecologists, inadequate preparation for patients, and the need for more comprehensive educational resources.
